Ok, Meteor coin door - large Stern decal or no? Flyer and IPDB examples don't show a Stern sticker. I see some with stickers in member photos but most of those coin doors look rehabbed so it might have been added later.

If yes, which decal?

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I refurbed mine with the blue border one. Looks nice. I don't know if the OEM door came with one, but I liked it, so I slapped it on there.

Playfield swap in process

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That Meteor is looking good! Can't say I ever was a fan of the red posts, I put blue on mine and it looks SOOOO much better with the color scheme. Yummy minty pf!!

Ok, Bluespin, Coyote and Quench - thanks for the input on getting my Meteor playable.

I can indeed shoot some video, I will take a look at the rollovers and check that switch test. Really busy, so can't get to it often right away, but I DO appreciate your input!

Stay tuned........

Nate

The new/original blue looks beautiful on the repro playfield. When you haven't seen the original colour you get used to it. I'm still coming around to restore my Fish Tales as new decals look so out of place to me, the orange is so bright!

Ok, checked all my leaf-switches for contact with game off, there were some switches closed on the drop targets and the brand-new switches and mechs installed for the sling-shots. DOH!

The roll-over stars all looked ok.

I also noticed that the mechs were not aligned properly and would not allow the switches to remain open with the new rubber stretched in front of them, and that the arm for the slingshot was sitting too far back to be effective.

Sooooooooo, I pulled off both mechs, doweled up the holes and let the glue dry overnight. I'll be re-assembling soon and report back! Hope the leaf switches were the problem.

One question, with the new arms for the slingshots, how close should the rubber be to the rocker arm when it is in the "resting" position" I figure it should be as close as possible to allow for maximum rebound?

Nate

Slowly getting there530AF592-CE0B-473B-B0AF-124D02124BB0 (resized).jpeg530AF592-CE0B-473B-B0AF-124D02124BB0 (resized).jpegF9DF6CC1-49A9-415B-A2D0-7496A88B99E5 (resized).jpegE114964E-0FAB-43BD-8E6C-AA9A30FC6558 (resized).jpeg67EDC024-E036-4529-BDBC-C8FE8AA1A00C (resized).jpeg53A1F380-DB66-40A5-BB53-07B5F172DFF4 (resized).jpeg

That's why you cannot go by the dimples. You need to dry fit the mechanicals before drilling pilot holes. Especially for the drop target banks.

Looks nice. Did you run into any issues installing the wire guides? Also did you have to remove alot of clear coat from the star roll over inserts?

I have a cpr and an original to swap.

No issues so far. The wire guides were easy out and easy in. Working on the star rollovers next so I’ll let you know.

Trying to get this project figured out.
Previous owner said had trouble with the big meteor drops. I removed, replaced, cleaned and installed.

It had not been connected previously. When I connected the drop bank, no coils at all work now. Not flipper either. I replaced the rectifier board and all tp voltages are good. Under pf fuse is good, solenoid board. fuse is good too.
I get voltage at solenoids, and test points on sdb look right. Any thoughts ?

If you disconnect the drops again are the solenoids still out?

Yes everything still dead
But it will start a game, no ball, and switches all register

Thanks for the feedback. be careful with the star roll overs. Be patient if you need to remove any clear. You could end up lifting the clear from the inserts since they are plastic, the clear doesn't have much to bite on. I use very tiny files and sometime a very small Dremel bit.

My star rollovers a tually went in loose with no clearcoat trimming needed. Got all the drops cleaned and rebuilt. Slowly coming together. This is my first attempt at a “restore” and I am learning constantly. Being an impatient person works against me as I have to remind myself to go slow and not screw stuff up.FA7793E4-48B9-44BC-BEBB-1727A1DD1B3E (resized).jpegF1715E87-94EE-4C68-AAC6-23B303BEC772 (resized).jpegF2650572-1C15-4D45-84C5-F1457261BDBF (resized).jpegEF7B5200-D0B6-4287-A6C1-8D9562F486DB (resized).jpegEA43B38B-7D25-4BD3-9AA7-803399394A4C (resized).jpegCA01D79F-2B22-4B98-80BA-2ED79B71C9DC (resized).jpegA1978E10-0AC6-496A-9A55-B6E269D6986D (resized).jpeg9E163A61-EB4C-416E-9DA2-EBD101FBE2F9 (resized).jpeg8DC3A2F2-4AAE-4568-BA63-68BA2E4B9BB6 (resized).jpeg86C25985-29BE-4D45-B10A-19AA39711223 (resized).jpeg7D721C79-4497-4C11-BAD9-3A9066E63788 (resized).jpeg75B0A753-3D68-4DB4-B83B-419C4E96D969 (resized).jpeg5F39B279-889D-4EE3-8AF4-C2BBA67F0698 (resized).jpeg5C7267FF-CF1F-449B-BBE2-3020DB06C4C9 (resized).jpeg495DB304-9EDF-4A8E-B7C2-306693B65B8B (resized).jpeg478EF4E3-1D9C-46DB-B454-CAE48A5EEE09 (resized).jpeg459FB2B3-3AA8-420C-9086-3A76BC4CD086 (resized).jpeg4160E025-D6EB-4DC1-9DBB-21D0AB5D4214 (resized).jpeg1DDCD0C2-5E30-4C51-B39B-53FAF641863D (resized).jpeg0E60F9A0-6459-4BF3-819E-8E353A83D659 (resized).jpeg

Seems like all your targets are sitting too low? The letters/numbers aren't cut off on mine

It’s because the coils arent in, so the drops are not up as far as they would be. Good catch

My drops are sitting low, I think that has been a problem discussed earlier on this thread. I plan to secure a flat rod onto the lift arm beneath the targets to take up about a small portion of space so the targets sit fully displayed in their pf slot. Keep this in mind when re-assembling.

My last effort before I punt.
I tried putting in a new sdb and new mpu and I get the same result. ( already new rectifier) No firing of any coils. All the voltage tp are normal and the coils have voltage at the lugs. The connectors have been replaced at some point as well, don’t look bad.. does it have to be a connector ?

wait so with the big bank unplugged all the machine coils are fine but when you plug the bank, all the coil stop working but no fuse blow? That is pretty strange since the coils are driven by their own transistor.
I assume if you desolder the bank coils (Voltage and groun wire) but plug in the rest of the bank then the machine coils work fine? That would isolate it to the bank coil, coil diode or wiring (backward?)...

so before it worked with the bank not connected. Now it doesn’t work no matter

Well at least it makes sense your "most likley" bank bad coil/diode/wiring must have shorted the under PF fuse or the rectifier fuse. I would check and replace those then unsolder the coils on your bank, plug the bank in without a connect coil and turn the game back on.

If everything works with that one coil off at least you have identified the issue at the bank coil.

I’ve checked and even replaced all
The fuses on the rectifier. As well a new rectifier with new fuses. I’ve also pulled the unpf fuse 3 x to check it and it’s good as well..
I had hoped switching the boards would have done it but even the new sdb showed all leds signaling power.
Thank you for reply

that is weird, have you check if you get power to your coils from the wire directly? It would help to know if it a power issue to the coil or a grounding issue. Hard to imagine that it wouldn't be a power issue to the coils if none of them work. If you don't find your 43VDC at the coil, or any of them, then trace it back, if it is not the fuse, it could be fuse clip, broken wires, bad connector/pins, etc...

If you have power to all your coil but none work then that gets more complicated as there is serious logic issue from your SDB and MPU so none activate...

If the boards test points are correct , but the coils are not then it have to be a connector. Is the power to the coils coming from sdb or is that directly from rectifier.
I checked all the coils and they all had power but now I can’t rmeneber if was 43.
When I put in the new sdb and mpu it was the I know it was exact same volts, but second guessing the reading

Coil power comes from J1 on the rectifier board.

Greetings fellow Meteorites ... I've recently (a little more than 2 months ago) purchased my first game, Meteor. So, I'm in the club by default. And thank god this forum exists!

It was playing just fine when I tested it before we packed it up. When I got it home to set it up, Pfffrrrrttt. Nada. After spending 3 days catching up reading this forum, I found that this pin is subject to problems when being moved. LOL I've been working on it off and on since, without much luck. I replaced a wrecked rectifier board with an Xpin and in the conversion I think I missed the GREEN wire coming from the transformer. After looking at all the photos, I can't really locate where the wire goes from there. If any of you kind owners would please help me trace this down with a photo, I think my problem (might) will clear up.

I blew the F4 coil/solenoid fuse on the XPin. So my suspicions may be just this wire. (Uh, highly doubtful, but hopeful!)

Many thanks in advance! — Geo.

You can see why I replaced this board. Delamination and broken ceramics being the centerpiece of my decision and not to mention the wires being hacked on it as well.
Wrecked Rectitieir board back (resized).jpgWrecked rectifier front (resized).jpg

Here's a more descriptive example of what I found. That brown wire is a jumper from the green coming from the rectifier. Also, will any of these fuses work on by blown F4 XPin replacement? Thanks again!

Also to note: I'm as green as the Jolly Green Giant. I am trying to absorb as much as I can. I use to own a pin back in the '90s. I believe it was called Frontier. I am an artist and have a good understanding of mechanics. Electronics, well, I am severely lacking, but learning. If I can fix this Meteor, perhaps the expedience will help me in the long run with other pins. It's a challenging effort, but I am willing to learn all that I can. Thanks again!

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I always keep a copy of the instructions that comes with PBL rectifier board, I have also added a picture of my Meteor rectifier board cabling. The info should be in the manual as well but let me know if you need more info:

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Thanks for the great info hisokajp and I will definitely reference this. I am sure it will help me in tracing down the correct config. What I really need is a photo of the green? wire that is secured to the base transformer (front left side) and what that wire is connected to. I think I forgot to do this and why my Meteor is on the fritz. Thank you kindly for your response.

If you are going to toss them, or not use them, can I grab your off-white old drops?

The green wire coming out of connector J3-1 you mean? Those are playfield wires, looking at the Manual/Schematics
https://www.ipdb.org/files/1580/Stern_1979_Meteor_Manual.pdf
Page 35, It says General Illumination return for your backbox, i doubt that would be the issue.

Are you getting the 120VAC to the rectifier board? On J2-6 and 7? Any power on the testing point? Did you check the F6 on the rectifier board which is your incoming power?

hisokajp forgive me. Maybe I am not making myself clear here. I am not referencing the rectifier at all in this case. My post was just to show how bad my rectifier was before I changed it over to the XPin.

I really just want to know where the bottom wire bolted on the TRANSFORMER's left front post is connected to. When I took both the rectifier and the transformer out to repin my connectors I must of misplaced this wire and forgotten where it goes. I know there is a wire coming from the bottom left screw lug on the transformer. I just don't know where or what it connects to between the rectifier and the transformer. I think it goes to a cluster of other wires that are strewed to the board somewhere in that area. Thank you for your reply. Any photos showing this specific area would be greatly appreciated.

BTW I appreciate the link!

i'll have to have a look but did your transformer has lug labeling on its wrapper? you can cross reference lug number to rectifier board position from the instruction sheet i posted earlier.

I think I tossed them, but if not they are yours.

Thanks! Let me know. Will pay you of course!

could someone share a pic of the left sling wiring. I have the whole switch row dead bc someone down the line swapped mechs/taped soldered shit everywhere and looks sketch so assuming issues lies there.

duplicate

My coil is hanging. Maybe it had what you need ?

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This one might be better ?

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thank you, appreciate it.

Hey all,

I'm still working on my Meteor. After fixing some other issues I found a loose wire under the METEOR drop target assembly on the left side. I'm kinda unsure where this came loose from. If anyone can help lead me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it. You can see by the photo that the wire's memory is somewhat near, but I haven't a clue to what. I don't believe whoever soldered this must of been in a hurry.

If someone could take a peek under their pin I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks in advance.

Geo.

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Yes, that white-yellow wire connects to where you're pointing (connection to the common bare wire across all the METEOR drop targets)

Meteor_SwitchMatrix_ST3.png

so I fixed wiring for slam tilt and left sling. my whole switch row is still dead. the MPU has been acid repaired sometime in its life. I've repinned and checked wiring/diodes and can't get anything. everything else works so my question is other than buying a new board what could I look at? A4J2-15 Orange wire is this problem

Does the slam switch on the coin door work? The yellow wire on it comes from the MPU board A4J3-16 (cabinet switch harness) and is the same MPU board "I7" switch return signal as A4J2-15

Turns out you are correct. someone took the slam tilt on coin out and the yellow wire some how was fused to the coil stop of the relay and was shorting out everything. thank you sir

Thank you kindly @quench. I had a sense of that's where it wen't. Your affirmation and diagram helped. Not very good at reading schematics at this time, but getting there.

just FYI, I put nvram.weebly's sound board in my Meteor and its sounding lovely!